Anyone tell him he can buy the rights for 200K$? Then he can do with it as he pleases... Everyone want to chip in and buy it for him for Christmas?

I believe you're off by three orders of magnitude -- the number being discussed, on scifiwire.com even, was $200 MILLION.

I'm pretty sure Whedon could come up with $200k -- I'm pretty sure he could come up with $2M if he really wanted it -- but $200M is a different kettle of fish. And that's not even counting the cost of making any movies.

Mastermind behind Alien Resurrection? You have got to be joking right, this being the guy that wrote what is probably the worst of the series, the one that killed it? Even A3 was not that well received, but it sure was 10x better than that god awful train wreck called Alien 4. Then consider how pathetic of a show concept Dollhouse was (thought up in 5 minutes), Firefly the Bonanza in space...The guy has no freaking talent for Science Fiction. People are deluded to think otherwise. Sure he can do some cute little girlie teen show, but Scifi?

This would be the end of Terminator franchise as we know it. God I hope someone with actual Scifi talent gets involved.

What the frak was this? It was the most stupid thing I've read here to date.

Just because Whedon has cloud with sci fi fanatics he is quoted, but if he had been a random idiot with a blog no one would have given a damn about this.

For 10k he must be kidding otherwise it's a slap in the face of the people who own the terminator rights. It's like 50 cents who got the 10k bid to change his name to 79 cents to match the cheap menu stuff of a fast food chain a while back.

But since he is in such good humour...i'll write a cheque for 1 dollar...that's right zero zeros behind it for Joss Whedon to stop making crappy movies and tv shows. Like he was the brains behind alien ressurection? God that was a load of crap movie. Especially with whineona ryder. Then there was dollhouse a hitech prostitution house and such. So Ewe Bolle, I mean Joss Whedon, I'll give you 1 dollar to stop making movies and tv shows.

Did Joss forget he was responsible for Alien 4?

Well of course if he was just a random idiot no one would give a dam but it just happens that he is not a random guy. So get over it. Dollhouse is a great show, firefly was even better and Buffy and Angel were Sci Fi. If you doubt that then you dont know sci fi. Whether you liked them or not.

Holy crap. IT WAS A JOKE! HE WAS JOKING!!
You guys really need to stick a pin in your pompousity and let some of the hot air out. Yeesh. Nobody has a sense of humor anymore....

I liked the episode of Angel when he was transformed into a muppet.

What a friggin genius!

Let him have it. You guys have totally sunk the story w/ that new film & maybe he can save it from it's unavoidable demise.

It was a funny joke I agree. I think more writers need to have a sense of humor like joss. Dr Horrible was hilarious. I just hope whoever does get the rights does it right and can bring back the franchise. I think the show was just hitting its high points when he got pulled

I will always love him for Buffy, Angel, Dr. Horrible, and especially Firefly, but he has lost it!

To Joss:
Face it Joss...Dollhouse is an EPIC FAIL!
It may be a good series and have all the potential in the world, but it is not a success and that means that it is not worth keeping on TV. Your little temper tantrums are boring/sad and make us lose faith in your capability to create good tv/movies in the future. I know you think you're joking, but your rants scream desperation and bitterness. Please do all of your fans (and yourself) a huge favor and get back to the basics. Make us some quality shows and shut the hell up!
PS - If you want to cry like a girl, go back to school for a graduate degree in Women's Studies, you dandy!

@GrinKat agreed

He's JOKING! This is Joss we're talking about... it's obviously a joke. Calm down people!

So funny I forgot to laugh.

Good grief, it's a joke (why else would he start with "Titan AE"?). Did you take Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" seriously too? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal

Because no one has said it yet:

Shiney! ;)

Maybe Joss would bring back TSCC!

Wow I can't believe the venom here. Its a gorram joke people. Lighten up and get a sense of humor.

I don't know about anyone else, but I can just picture a roomful of robots dancing to that song from Rocky Horror, "The Time Warp", with Arnold doing a cameo saying "It's just a jump to the left".

Terminator: The Musical!

OMG OMG as a TSCC fan pixxed as hell at FOX over DOllhouse/TSCC drama Joss BETTER bring back TSCC!
You owe us one Joss!

okay now that I read what Joss wrote he comes off as a nasty frakker!
is he LAUGHING AT WE TSCC FANS??
Huh huh is he? cuz Dollhouse sucks Joss!
and Josh Freidman is what you WERE during your Firefly days, talented!

haha, sold!

Wow. You all give 'science fiction' fans a bad name. The letter is a joke, and totally hilarious. Asking 200 million for the 'Terminator' rights is just as hilarious. (Who in their right minds would even think of opening the bidding at that? One hell of a back-end deal, and I mean that in every sense.) Joss offering 10 grand each for Terminator, Lord of the Rings and Batman had me rolling on the floor. The potential mashups brought tears to my eyes, and the thought of a Terminator musical had me holding my sides - he just HAD to mention it. And you people have absolutely no sense of humor. Mind you, I felt for TSCC fans, but get over it and yourselves. It's just a tv show. The first film was the only decent one of the bunch anyway. Lighten up!

Um......so I'm guessing y'all haven't heard of sarcasm?

Geez.

UHUUUUU YAWN VERY FUNNY SAVE THAT HUMOUR FOR YOU SOON TO BE CANCELED SHOW DOUCHE

I think we've already established a number of sci-fi (and TSCC) fans suffer from varying degrees of Asperger's Syndrome. Part of the disease is a lack of social skills and not understanding others' sense of humor.

That's not funny.

"Hasta La Vista, Boramir?"

Not funny.

I love Joss' sense of humor. If I had his clout I'd take 5 minutes to poke fun too. I think he gave the Terminator franchise exactly the level of respect it deserves, no more, no less. Hate Whedon all you like, but when it comes down to it all the time you spend slagging on Joss Whedon's work could be better spent by getting behind a camera and proving you can do better. So get off your sofas and out of your arm chairs, critics and show us how it's done. Who knows? Maybe you could be responsible for Alien 5, or a thin, stagnant franchise like Terminator.

Oh, and I really enjoyed the Angel episode where he became a muppet too.

Wow.. some people here really are showing what awful people they are. Why the venom?? Joss has not done jack squat to anyone here and some people are reacting in a manner that makes me sad that they are a part of the human race. I'm a fan of Joss and accept there are people that don't care for his work, that is fine, people have different tastes. But you don't have to be so frakkin mean about it. And as far as Alien Resurrection, you can blame the quality on the director and studio. If you get ahold of Whedon's script you will see how much better it would have turned out. Do research people before the accusations.

Wow...some of you guys stop being such huge tools. It's a joke. It is meant in good humor. The fact that the current rights owners have screwed the pooch is bad enough. If you read between the lines he is saying someone who really really loves the franchise should take it over.

So this guy is basically spitting on the Terminator fans eh.... Well I'll just spit back.

This would be funny, if that wasnt exactly how som many story writers, producers and their companys work, wiht so many re-boot, and lousy run ons from decent franchises.

I know it was just a joke, and I kind of get the reason behind it.
It might be he's telling them that he's a fan of it and this whole auctioning of Terminator makes the whole series feel tarnished or worthless.
As for all those who hates him for Alien Resurresction. He wrote the story, but he didnt direct it. If you read the script you would understand that the story was pretty unique but the director totally blew it with his vision. Everything in that movie was off the mark making a movie that looked slick and cool, but with a story, plot, and a delivery that well couldn't deliver. So don't blame him for Alien Resurrection, blame the studios, they told him "don't worry we've got the french directing. When have they ever lost...." :p

I cannot believe the vitriole being spewed by what I assume to be a bunch of crybaby "terminator" fans. I'll bet this is the same bunch that thinks "Halo" novels, "Transformer" movies and the "GI Joe" franchise are the height of thoughtful science fiction. You have taken to blaming Joss Whedon for the death of your beloved franchise, when you should be blaming the suits at FOX or the viewing public for not watching.

Im sorry but I just dont get all the fanboy love this fat egotistical ginger kid has riding him around the internet.
I was a fan of BTVS (not the movie) for seasons 1-3 and some of 4 (afterwards it went straight down a hellmouth and never came back) and Angel (most of it that is) then again I credit other people for those successes not automatically whedon. As far as Im concerned hes a hack who started directly getting involved with the main scripts & thats when the storylines really started to go to sh!t. He really ruined both series towards their endings IMHO. Then theres that GOD AWFUL Alien 4 movie & the fact that he really believes that he's this oh so cool intellectually astute and so so funny gen-x cultural icon that I can only postulate the inevitable conclusion; If he has ANYTHING to do with any good sci-fi franchise/project (Terminator or otherwise) then that will mean utter doom for that project in the end.

Wow, not only are these people filled with humorless nerd rage, they completely missed the fact that Whedon was mostly making fun of himself with his comments. Epic sense of humor fail, people.

BTW - Looks like everyone also missed that this whole thing was a subtle homage to Lorne Michaels offering the Beastles $3000 to reunite on Saturday Night Live, back in 1975.
http://snltranscripts.jt.org/75/75rbeatles.phtml

More Summer Glau... BUY IT RIGHT NOW JOSS!!! RIGHT OUT THAT PAY CHECK!!!

I hope he has plans to please the terminator AND TSCC fans all in one big happy universe! Bring out a tv show on cable or a "reliable" network while releasing a movie like ever 3 years or so.

My fellow TSCC fans.. there is HOPE!

Thanks a lot Tom I'll never get that image out of my mind!

However I'm so disappointed in Joss. You offer 10K each for "The Terminator", "Lord of the Rings", and "Batman", but nothing for "The Song of Norway"! Some SciFi fan you are.

This TSCC/Dollhouse war is exactly why I’m ashamed to be a sci-fi fan. All these Terminator fans act as if Joss Whedon had some malicious hand to play when it was the network that killed TSCC. They may have made a wrong decision in picking Dollhouse to continue, but by no means does that logically lead to Joss Whedon having the blame squarely on his shoulders.

The pure and honest truth is that TSCC didn’t have the ratings. The show runners were attempting to make all these “character development” episodes when the masses who dominate the demographics the networks crave don’t dig that. It’s more of a statement about the dumbing down of the masses than anything else if those reality shows and “American Idol” shows are any indication.

Science fiction used to mean cerebral storylines with deep introspective thought about our present and future. It used to mean speculation on what might have been or what might be in the future. It used to be a thinking genre. Now, sci-fi has turned into flash in the pan with little substance, turning more into fantasy and removing the science aspect. If there aren’t loud noises or flashing lights, those demographics the networks want won’t watch.

That’s where the ratings come in, and that’s why TSCC failed. Dollhouse is in that same boat right now. But what I wish is that this hatred and venom would be directed where it truly should be. I place the blame on allowing this to happen to our genre through substandard stories (“Mansquito,” anyone?) and flashy antics.

It’s not Joss Whedon’s fault, folks. I like his writing style, and I know he’s made some crap along with some gems, but that’s every writer/producer in the market. In my opinion, TSCC and Dollhouse are good shows, but my thoughts on that are built around my heritage as a classic science-fiction fan. I don’t mind good character development inside a strong premise, but I’m also not a subscriber to the current no-substance storytelling that the key demos want.

What is wrong with science fiction fans stopping the petty infighting and bickering? What is wrong with being a unified front asking for better programming and less wrestling, Mansquito, and outright embarrassments to the genre we all love?

Anyone that is taking his proposal as a serious offer and displaying serious outrage needs to sterilize yourselves immediately. At the very least, please consider seriously my request that you NEVER BREED.

I'll pay you $10,000 if you promise to never have children.\

And TTSCC was horrible. Good riddance.

Yeah. I went there because you lacked the courage to.

That's a lot of big ass zeroes.

it's just a pity he never put this much effort into dollhouse.

Let him buy it for $10K. It's worth it.

His point is obvious. He's saying that a bidding war over the rights to a franchise is dumb, especially at such large figures. At the end of the day, it's all about how big a price tag they can put on a well known name. Quality doesn't matter. Essentially, a franchise is better off in the hands of someone who cares to make good use of it than someone with a massive bank balance that will employ a mix of cheap hacks and big name actors and directors with no regard to quality. Of course, that is only the perspective of the creative types and the fans and not of the people who actually retain the rights to franchises.

Joss Whedon doesn't hate Terminator, he hates the suits.

Oh, and some people need to stop being so literal.

Reading Joss' offer gave me a chuckle.

Reading the responses from those stupid enough to take it seriously, burst out laughing.

Joss, seriously, develop a movie or series around internet fanboys who take the internet seriously.

I really loved TSCCand was gutted when it was cancelled. I also like Joss' writing (and he's not l;ost it - just go watch dr Horrible - it's utterly fantastic). As such, I have to say I find the venom directed towards Joss from TSCC fans absolutely disgusting. The man made a joke, people! About dumb suits asking ridiculous money for an already pretty well exploited franchise! And unless you have no sense of humour it was hilarious! It was witty, self-effacing and absolutely spot on it's mark. The respone from humourless, witless, TSCC supporting nerds is just absolutely beyond belief. Even forgetting the fact (and I repeat) IT'S A JOKE did Joss cancel TSCC? No. Is he in any way, shape or form responsible for the cancellation? No. Fox chose to renew his show. Did you expect him to go to Fox and say "c'mon, cancel my show because I really want a third season of Terminator"? If you did, then you're not only socially inept, you're stupid too. If you want to blame someone, blame Fox. For my part, I've never thought that the campaign to get TSCC back would be successful ever since it was cancelled. I wanted it back, but I thought that it was pie in the sky. Following the rants that I've seen on these pages, I now don't want it back. These people don't deserve to be successful.

This whole "joke" offer is a direct homage to the Saturday night live skit where they offered $1000 dollars to the Beatles to come back together and play there.

As usual Mr. Whedon's dry humor is dead on!

yes and when someone hands over the cash Cyberdyne (the IP owners) will have the money to implement their prototype cyber-soldier demo for the Army can anyoe say a plotline within a plotline lol?

The machines will never defeat us, and here's why--even the smartest machine lacks the basic reading comprehension skills of the average sixth grader. Sure they can do a zillion calculations per second, but can they pick up on irony in a passage of 600 words or less? Even when it's really, really obvious? No.

As long as we humans can, we'll have nothing to worry about.

By reading some of these comments i feel bouyed that there are other people who feel the same way I do about Joss Wheadon.... I don't thinks he's a BAD writer but I absolutely HATE all of his stuff. He's good at writing for teenage girls...But Dollhouse and any other attempt at sci-fi should be left to the grown ups. Sci-Fi works when it lives in a world that takes itself seriously. Not that there can't be humor, but when the whold show is winking at you that it's bs....it IS. That what Josh writes.

How much do you want to bet James Cameron will buy the franchise back with the profit made on Avatar.

At the end of the day, it's all about how big a price tag they can put on a well known name. Quality doesn't matter. Essentially, a franchise is better off in the hands of someone who cares to make good use of it than someone with a massive bank balance that will employ a mix of cheap hacks and big name actors and directors with no regard to quality.